Renewable energy technology company to open manufacturing plant in Douglas Park

Heliogen, a renewable energy technology company, has begun site preparation and installation for its first large-scale manufacturing facility, which will be located at Douglas Park in East Long Beach, the company announced Tuesday.

Production lines are expected to come online at the 90,000 square foot factory in the third quarter of this year.

“We believe our state-of-the-art heliostat manufacturing facility is the world’s first and only facility purpose-built for high-volume heliostat production,” CEO Bill Gross said in a statement.

A heliostat is a device that continuously tracks the sun to reflect sunlight back to a single point. The Heliogen”sunlight refineryuses artificial intelligence and computer vision to control thousands of mirrors to focus sunlight onto a specialized tower, which would produce heat in excess of 1,000 degrees centigrade, according to the company’s website.

The heat is transferred to a compact rock bed, where it can be stored and used to generate heat and/or electricity. The energy could also be used to split water and create 100% clean hydrogen.

“Our ability to manufacture Heliogen heliostats in the factory allows for a significant cost advantage over previous production of heliostats, which was done in the construction field under less controlled conditions,” Gross said. “Our modular plant design, combined with our patented software control system, supports our mission to cost-effectively deliver nearly 24/7 carbon-free energy in the form of heat, electricity or electricity. scale green hydrogen – for the first time in history.”

According to the company, the infrastructures for the different types of energy produced by the Heliogen system are less expensive to build and maintain than standard solar energy systems. The company says its system will produce renewable fuels that are significantly cheaper to produce and distribute by 2030.

Heliogen plans to generate clean energy in areas with a high number of sunny days and transport it around the world.

The Long Beach facility will include assembly lines, an extensive test facility and a rapid development center for the production of heliostats and other components, according to the company. Heliostats built in Long Beach are expected to be used in Heliogen’s first commercial project in California. Details of the project were not available on Tuesday.

Heliogen plans to have more than 250 full-time employees at its California sites by 2025. It’s unclear how many employees will work at the Long Beach site, a company spokesperson said Tuesday.

Long Beach is an optimal location for the manufacturing plant due to the skilled labor pool, including veterans from the U.S. military and nearby colleges and universities, the company said. The city is also ideal for easy transportation of finished goods due to its proximity to major highways and ports in San Pedro Bay, according to the announcement.

Over the past decade, Douglas Park has become a hub for technology companies, especially space companies. Virgin Orbit, Rocket Lab, SpinLaunch, Morf3D and a host of others call expansive industrial development home.

“With some of the nation’s best and brightest talent, key suppliers, and access to an extensive network of infrastructure and logistics, Heliogen is confident that Long Beach will become a hub for green energy manufacturing solutions.” , Andy Lambert, chief production and supply chain officer, said in the announcement. “Moving forward with the Long Beach manufacturing facility represents a significant step forward in bringing sustainable energy solutions to heavy industry. »